Al Qamar Academy, Chennai, Grade 3
November 2017

Small Science – Class 3
Unit 3 – Our Body, Our Food
Chapter 6 – Our food

Millet party

Grade 3 have been working on the chapter “Our Food”.

Initially a couple of us went to the nearby grocery store. We saw dhals – dhuli and whole – pink and yellow in different shapes and sizes. Some were split also. Aunty showed us the grains of wheat from which Aata is made. Cool! We could ourselves recognize rice — raw and parboiled. Both are used in our houses. Z said that her father always cooked red rice for her because it is healthy. Then we saw the vegetables and fruits. We knew all those names.

Aunty asked our parents to take us to a vegetable and grocery store over the weekend.

In the next class, Aunty asked which of us had visited the market. R said she goes regularly to buy vegetables and groceries from the market. M’s mother also sends him. H said he goes too, and sometimes buys samosas for himself if his mother permits.

We discussed how we need to eat different kinds of foods daily. We remembered that the Chief Guest on Independence Day had told us to remember the colours on our national flag to eat — carrots and papayas, greens, milk and 24 hours water!

In the foodgrain section we discussed millets. Aunty asked if we use millets at home. R said “Yes! My mother makes me drink ‘Kool’ (a traditional Tamil drink made with ragi) because it’s so healthy.” M said his mom makes pakoras with millets.

We discussed how healthy millets are — they are energy givers, body builders and disease fighters. Aunty said millets need very little water to grow which is good when there’s a drought. She said we’ll have a millet party on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, we brought many dishes made of millets: Ragi chocolate cake, pearl millet chocolate chip cookies, saamai (little millet) dosa, ragi seviyan, pearl millet pakoras and foxtail millet pongal. Yummy!!